Trans-Atlantic biometrics regulation initiative names new co-rapporteur

A joint European-U.S. legal project focused on creating guidelines for biometric technology regulation has named a new collaborative leader.

The Principles for the Governance of Biometrics project will be joined by Gianclaudio Malgieri, an associate professor of Law and Technology and a board member at eLaw – Center for Law and Digital Technologies at Leiden University. Malgieri will serve as Co-Rapporteur alongside Nita Farahany, professor of Law and Philosophy at Duke Law School.

Initiated earlier this year by the American Law Institute (ALI) and the European Law Institute (ELI), the primary objective of the Trans-Atlantic initiative is to establish principles for defining a legal framework related to biometrics.

This includes four goals: Defining key terms and developing a classification system for biometric systems, technologies and data; Examining technologies and systems used to collect and process biometric data; Evaluating the benefits and harms of biometric technologies; and finally, surveying legal frameworks in the EU, UK, and the U.S. to identify gaps and inconsistencies.

To achieve this, the project will rely on experts from various jurisdictions and disciplines who will share their views on the legal, ethical, and societal challenges posed by biometric systems. Chairing the initiative are former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Lord John Thomas and Steven O. Weise, co-chair of the American Law Institute.

The project will continue until 2028. The final result will be a book summarizing the principles aimed at helping regulators and policymakers in democratic countries navigate the evolving landscape of biometric technology governance.

Article Topics

biometric data  |  biometrics  |  ethics  |  Europe  |  Principles for the Governance of Biometrics  |  regulation  |  UK  |  United States